New set of education standards to replace Common Core

Published: Thursday, July 24, 2014 at 06:58 PM.

Local school officials are taking a “wait and see” approach after North Carolina Governor Pat McCrory announced the end of Common Core education standards in the state.

McCory signed legislation on Tuesday that directs the State Board of Education to rewrite the Common Core standards based on recommendations from an 11-member standards advisory commission. North Carolina follows Indiana, Oklahoma, South Carolina and Missouri in passing laws to rewrite the standards.

In June of 2010, North Carolina adopted the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics and English Language Arts, which included literacy in science and social studies.

The new law does allow the commission to integrate parts of Common Core into any new set of standards. Common Core will remain in place until a new set of standards are completed.

Lenoir County Public Schools spokesman Patrick Holmes said he doesn’t currently know how the law will specifically change education in Lenoir County.

“Until we understand what replaces it, we don’t really know how it’s going to affect our instructional work,” he said. “For the time being, we will proceed the way we have been doing for the last two years under Common Core.”

Holmes said he doesn’t know what shape new standards will take, but he feels Common Core was a workable and relevant standard for students in North Carolina. He said he was encouraged by the provision in the new law that allows Common Core standards to be considered in the standards that replace them.

Local school officials are taking a “wait and see” approach after North Carolina Governor Pat McCrory announced the end of Common Core education standards in the state.

McCory signed legislation on Tuesday that directs the State Board of Education to rewrite the Common Core standards based on recommendations from an 11-member standards advisory commission.
North Carolina follows Indiana, Oklahoma, South Carolina and Missouri in passing laws to rewrite the standards.

In June of 2010, North Carolina adopted the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics and English Language Arts, which included literacy in science and social studies.

The new law does allow the commission to integrate parts of Common Core into any new set of standards. Common Core will remain in place until a new set of standards are completed.

Lenoir County Public Schools spokesman Patrick Holmes said he doesn’t currently know how the law will specifically change education in Lenoir County.

“Until we understand what replaces it, we don’t really know how it’s going to affect our instructional work,” he said. “For the time being, we will proceed the way we have been doing for the last two years under Common Core.”

Holmes said he doesn’t know what shape new standards will take, but he feels Common Core was a workable and relevant standard for students in North Carolina. He said he was encouraged by the provision in the new law that allows Common Core standards to be considered in the standards that replace them.

“The panel that writes the new standards should have access to all information and all existing standards,” he said. “If they want to produce something that is unique to North Carolina, that’s fine. What has happened in other states that have done this, is that the standards that replace Common Core are similar to Common Core.”

Holmes said the results educators are working towards are the same.

“What schools want to do is create a sense of deep understanding with students in things like math and science,” he said. “The big misunderstanding is that Common Core tells teachers how to teach. What it does say is that these are the goals that need to be reached by certain grades.”

Jeannie Smith, director of educational programs for Jones County Schools, said the school system has done extensive professional development with its teachers over the last few years to get them ready for Common Core.

“Personally we have enjoyed it,” she said. “We think the rigor is important. Our teachers have been teaching Common Core for two years full force and we will rise to the occasion. However standards change, we will be right there and do the things we need to do.”

Smith said she did not see a need for change and hopes a lot of the Common Core standards are kept.

“We find real value in the rigor of Common Core and the depth of knowledge required to be successful with the curriculum,” she said. “It has pushed us to teacher deeper and more effectively and we believe the skills in Common Core are what students need. We hope to see some commonalities.”

Noah Clark can be reached at 252-559-1073 or Noah.Clark@kinston.com. Follow him on twitter @nclark763.